Lug nuts

[Deaf Mute]

After restoring the brake drums, I took a small brush and some white paint and filled in the stamped "R" & "L" on the studs. I know what they are but I have seen a bozo with an air wrench twist off a stud trying to tighten instead of removing a lug nut. I have also gotten mad at myself for mixing up lug nuts in the past.
Aren't old cars a blast?

duane miller

[gordr]

Left-hand threads went on the left side of the car, and right-hand threads went on the right side of the car. It was commonly thought at the time that this would help prevent wheels from being lost of the lug nuts worked loose, as the natural action of a loose wheel would tend to tighten the lug nut. Studebaker was not the only manufacturer to do this; Chrysler, for one, did too.

But the world will not come to an end if you get them on the "wrong" side. After all, Studebakers after 1958 all used only RH thread lug nuts, and they did not experience a plague of left-side wheels falling off.

But may I suggest that you MARK the oddball lugs conspicuously, so that in future you, or somebody else, doesn't wreck them by setting the lever the wrong way on the old air-impact? A dab of red paint works fine. I've got at least one car in the fleet where I've mounted a non-standard hub, and I did mark it, in the interest of preventing my own future frustration.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[rockne10]

Look at the ends of the lugs. "L" will be stamped on lugs requiring left threads and "R" on lugs requiring right threads.
Normally, left (driver) hubs would be left thread and right (passenger) hubs would be right thread.
Since lugs or complete hubs can be replaced, it's best to know what you've got.

Brad Johnson
Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
'33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight, '53 Commander Starlight

[backyardmechanic]

58 Hawk has left and right lug threaded lug nuts. Do the left ones go on the lft side of car and the rt on right side of car? I have rt thresded on lft side and one left threaded on rt side. Which is correct? I suspect hubs have been switched.